Italy: Church claims Bishop under attack over migration shelter

Rome: The Catholic Diocese in Pistoia, in central Italy, has called out the behavior of certain center-right politicians, saying they have been attacking a Bishop over a center for migrants in Vicofaro.

A statement from the Diocese of Pistoia, in Tuscany, central Italy has called out the actions of certain politicians and their attitudes towards actions of church members. The statement read: “An intimidatory and violent attack” on the Diocese of Pistoia and towards Bishop Fausto Tardelli, has been judged “even more vile because it exploits, with probable election aims, the situation that is certainly complex and difficult.”

The Church authorities in the region say that the attacks are all the more problematic, because they don’t intend to “offer solutions,” and instead blame “a religious authoritiy for actions and powers that are well beyond its responsibilities and possibilities.”

The attacks, say the church, began after some members of center-right parties criticized the migrant center set up in Vicofaro, managed by Father Massimo Biancalani during a meeting that took place between the government, the Tuscan region,the prefecture and the municipality of Pistoia to address moving some migrants out of the center that was over capacity.

“It is sad to hear statements issued over the last few days by some political representatives of the political majority who support the administration of the municipality regarding the situation,” in the parish of Vicofaro, explained a spokesperson for the Diocese, adding that these “represent an additional and sad episode of degradation of the institutions and public debate.”

“Public order and managing migrant flows certainly are not the responsibility of the Diocese, just like anywhere else in the world,” the statement continued.

“We wish to strongly remind people that, as a Church, we find ourselves compensating for the State, for local administrations and international ones who are responsible for solving the migration problem, and particularly, the management of the sheltering of those who are in our country.”

The Diocese also highlighted that it “registered as positive a significative intervention on the part of the government,” following the constructive dialog between local and national institutions,” even though “the unacceptable and offensive statements published by the press” against the Bishop, the Diocese and Father Biancalani “make everything harder, poisoning the spirits further and adding fuel to the fire.”

“We believe that the real concern of residents, which surely needs to be addressed and paid attention to, cannot be exploited by a political force that lowers itself to such levels,” concludes the statement.